Launch Of Report At House Of Commons

The House Builders’ Survey: more SME house builders needed

Attending the launch of the House Builders’ Survey at the House of Commons was a chance to discuss the falling share of homes built by SMEs, down from around 40% in the late 1980s to only around 10% today. Annie, our Director of Public Affairs, joined the discussion on the reasons. The main constraints identified in the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) report are:

• The planning system
• Restricted mortgage availability
• Lack of small sites and available land
• Material costs (although likely to improve)
• Lack of finance

Workforce and skills shortages still affect SMEs, though they have dropped to sixth place. As Chair of the FMB Training Group, Annie is keen to see a skilled workforce ready so that SMEs can build more of the homes London needs.